According to Wikipedia, “an anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event.”

In March 2010, SPCA Laurentides-Labelle had accepted a transfer of a few dogs form an Emergency Shelter. One of these dogs originated from a serious hoarding situation.

She was indeed beautiful with her thick caramel colored coat. She had a shepherd’s snout, and large triangular ears. Her paperwork from the Emergency Shelter tagged her as The Boss. As like all new arrivals at SPCA Laurentides-Labelle, she needed a name and was affectionately called Kelby.

Immediately we knew we had our hands full. Kelby had a serious case of separation anxiety. She had no notion of sharing, excessively possessive of food or toys if anyone would approach. At the age of 1 year old, she had no basic obedience. She did not appreciate life in a kennel, and soon after arriving she figured out how to climb out of her kennel. When her kennel was modified with a screen on the top, she was determined enough to break the metal bars on the front of her door. Kelby’s living quarters were then transferred to the back office, where she could live safely without being confined to a kennel.

The root to Kelby’s behaviour problems all stemmed down to her anxiety. With much thought, research, and discussions with vets, it was decided to put Kelby on anxiety medication. Along with a lot of patience and a lot of work, this once seriously anxious dog has become proof of what can be done with an animal that suffers with a serious behaviour problem when the time is taken to work with them.

Kelby is calmer. She can sit, lie down, and heel on and off leash. Under supervision, she can even share a toy with a friend. Kelby is extremely intelligent, and surprises us every day with something new she has figured out. She loves basking in the sun in the summer. She loves jumping into snow banks in the winter.

Kelby loves human company. She is affectionate. She is gentle. Once you have Kelby’s confidence, she will be your best friend.

What does this entry have to do with anniversaries you might ask?

An anniversary can be as simple as a birthday. A marriage. An event that has left a mark on in our memories. We like to believe that most anniversaries are of happier moments. Some anniversaries are of less happier moments, and this is one of them.

March 11 will mark the 1 year anniversary that Kelby has been with SPCA Laurentides-Labelle. No dog should have to live at a shelter for a year. A dog needs a family, a home to call their own. When speaking to friends and family, please speak out on Kelby’s behalf as she has been waiting for a year to be adopted. Although Kelby holds a big part on the hearts of the team at SPCALL what we wish for more than anything is that someone will adopt her and love her just as much as we do.